Examining the relationship between urban liveability and gender-based violence: A systematic review

Femicides and Victim's age-Associated Factors in Peru

Background. Femicides are an increasing social problem worldwide. In this study, we aim to describe the trend of femicides in the prepandemic decade and characterize the femicide victims and their perpetrators. Methods. We assessed the trend of femicides in Peru during 2010-2019 and performed a cross-sectional study to analyze the femicides reported in 2019 using open data. Results. We analyzed 166 femicides reported in 24/25 regions of Peru in 2019 and calculated a yearly incidence of 1.01 femicides per 100,000 women. This incidence level represents an increase of 38% compared to the mean annual incidence from 2010 to 2018 (0.74 femicides per 100,000 women). Most femicides occurred in urban areas (64%), through strangling/asphyxiation (25.9%), stabbing (23%), and shooting (16%). Most victims were mothers (61%) 30 years old or over (51%). Most perpetrators have had a partner history with their victims (69%), 30 years old or over (62%), employed (57%), and consumed enablers (51%). Our regression analysis observed that the victim's age was associated with the perpetrator's age and partner history. Conclusions. Femicides are endemic in Peru, and the main characteristics of the victims and their perpetrators offer opportunities for tackling this social problem in Peru and similar low- to middle-income countries.

Intra-Urban Variation of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women and Men in Kenya: Evidence from the 2014 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey

Although urban areas are diverse and urban inequities are well documented, surveys commonly differentiate intimate partner violence (IPV) rates only by urban versus rural residence. This study compared rates of current IPV victimization among women and men by urban residence (informal and formal settlements). Data from the 2014 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, consisting of an ever-married sample of 1,613 women (age 15-49 years) and 1,321 men (age 15-54 years), were analyzed. Multilevel logistic regression was applied to female and male data separately to quantify the associations between residence and any current IPV while controlling for regional variation and other factors. Results show gendered patterns of intra-urban variation in IPV occurrence, with the greatest burden of IPV identified among women in informal settlements (across all types of violence). Unadjusted analyses suggest residing in informal settlements is associated with any current IPV against women, but not men, compared with their counterparts in formal urban settlements. This correlation is not statistically significant when adjusting for women's education level in multivariate analysis. In addition, reporting father beat mother, use of current physical violence against partner, partner's alcohol use, and marital status are associated with any current IPV against women and men. IPV gets marginal attention in urban violence and urban health research, and our results highlight the importance of spatially disaggregate IPV data-beyond the rural-urban divide-to inform policy and programming. Future research may utilize intersectional and syndemic approaches to investigate the complexity of IPV and clustering with other forms of violence and other health issues in different urban settings, especially among marginalized residents in informal urban settings.

Changes in Collective Efficacy's Preventive Effect on Intimate Partner Violence during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Following the logic of studies showing that collective efficacy within neighborhoods deters intimate partner violence (IPV), the promotion of social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic may have weakened that effect. To examine that possibility, we analyzed panel data from 318 adults in Japan regarding IPV victimization and perceived collective efficacy at four time points. A latent growth model (LGM) analysis for each measure revealed that informal social control, a subscale of collective efficacy, has declined since the pandemic began, whereas no significant changes have occurred in social cohesion and trust, another subscale of collective efficacy, and IPV victimization. Furthermore, two parallel LGM analyses revealed that although collective efficacy before the pandemic suppressed subsequent IPV victimization, changes in collective efficacy during the pandemic have been positively associated with changes in IPV. Those results suggest that collective efficacy's protective effect on IPV is moderated by whether interactions between intimate partners and their neighbors are socially normative.

Female Homicide in Italy in 2021: Different Criminological and Psychopathological Perspectives on the Phenomenon

The intentional homicide of female victims, which is most commonly perpetrated by intimate partners or family members, has been recognized in recent years as a matter of grave public concern that needs to be addressed from the cultural and judicial perspectives. To allow an in-depth criminological and psychopathological evaluation of female homicide in Italy in 2021 to be conducted, the authors performed a newspaper report analysis of the phenomenon. All female homicides that occurred in Italy in 2021 (n = 119) were included in the study. The analysis confirmed the low rate of female homicides in Italy when compared with other countries and also showed the phenomenon to be more complex than usually described. The highest rate of homicides was observed in elderly females when compared with other age groups, implying different criminological considerations and suggesting that gender-based violence may only explain some of the identified cases. The high incidence of suicide or attempted suicide among offenders, together with the high incidence of reported mental disorders in that population, suggests that a psychopathological perspective on the phenomenon of female homicide could help with the development and implementation of preventive strategies that focus on managing mental health at a territorial level and intervening in difficult domestic situations.

Rural-urban migration as a factor associated with physical and sexual intimate partner violence Peru 2015-2017: a secondary analysis of a national study

Background

Internal migration, a consequence of the demographic transition towards urbanization driven by globalization, represents a particular public health challenge. Change in residence from one sociocultural geographic context to another, with not only economic implications, but also changes in women’s long-established relationships of family interdependence, influences gender relations and can influence Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) against women. Different migratory trajectories may be related to IPV. The aim of this study was to identify the association between internal migration and physical and/or sexual violence against women in the last 12 months.

Methods

A secondary analytical cross-sectional analysis of the publicly accessible 2015–2017 Demographic and Family Health Survey (DHS) was performed. The outcome variable was reported physical and/or sexual violence inflicted by the partner (IPV) during the last 12 months. Exposure variable was internal migration, operationalized from three questions: current place of residence, principal place of residence before 12 years of age and number of years of residence in the current place. Migrants were classified as those who reported having lived for 5 years or more in the current location and were categorized as rural-rural migrants, urban-urban migrants, urban–rural migrants and rural–urban migrants, recent migrants and nonmigrants those who resided in the same place all their lives. To identify the association between internal migration and physical violence, a generalized linear model (GLM) of the family and the log Poisson link log option was used, and the results are presented as prevalence ratios (PRs). A crude model and a model adjusted for confounding variables were performed.

Results

Rural–urban migrant women had a 15.0% higher probability of experiencing IPV than nonmigrant women (PRa 1.15, 95% CI 1.03–1.29, p = 0.015), while the probability of experiencing IPV in the last 12 months for urban–rural, rural-rural,urban-urban migrantand recent migrant women was not significantly different from that of nonmigrant women.

Conclusion

Rural–urban migration among women of childbearing age is a factor associated with a higher probability of IPV in the last 12 months. The identification of women with this rural–urban migration pattern could help prioritize those that may experience a greater probability of physical and/or sexual violence in Peru, it must be studied if this pattern is the same in other countries.